Michael Constantine, the actor best known for his role as Gus in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has died. Constantine passed away at his Reading, Massachusetts home at the age of 94 on Tuesday, Aug. 31, his family confirmed to the Reading Eagle, with his brother-in-law Michael Gordon sharing that the actor was surrounded by family at the time of his death. Constantine’s family said the actor had been ill for some time, though they did not disclose the illness. His agent, Julia Buchwald, confirmed to multiple outlets that Constantine died of natural causes.
Born Constantine Ioannides in Reading, Pennsylvania on May 22, 1927, Constantine began his career on stage in New York in the 1950s, serving as understudy to Paul Muni, who played Henry Drummond in the original Broadway production of Inherit the Wind, before transitioning to television. His big break came when he landed the role of principal Seymour Kaufman at the fictional Los Angeles Walt Whitman High On ABC’s Room 222. The role earned Constantine an Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy in 1970, and he was nominated the following year as well.
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Following his stint on Room 222, which concluded its five-season run in 1974, Constantine went on to appear in a number of other series, including Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, The Untouchables, Kojak, and Airwolf. He also appeared as the night court judge Matthew Sirota on Sirota’s Court. As his career in TV surged, Constantine also made his way into film, starring as Gypsy in the 1996 horror film Thinner, with other film credits including Steve McQueen’s The Reivers, The North Avenue Irregulars, and The Juror. He is perhaps best known, though, for his role as Gus Portokalos, the husband of Lainie Kazan’s Maria Portokalos, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The indie film was a box office hit, and Constantine went on to reprise his role in a 2003 sitcom for CBS as well as in the 2016 sequel to the film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
“Michael Constantine, the dad to our cast-family, a gift to the written word, and always a friend,” Nia Vardalos, the writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, tweeted Wednesday. “Acting with him came with a rush of love and fun. I will treasure this man who brought Gus to life. He gave us so much laughter and deserves a rest now. We love you Michael.”
By the time of his passing, Constatine had more than 180 credits to his name, including TV appearances on Perry Mason, MacGyver, The Twilight Zone,The Dick Van Dyke Show, Murder, She Wrote, Law & Order, Gunsmoke, and many more. He also appeared in the films Island of Love and In the Mood. Constantine is survived by his two sisters, Patricia Gordon and Chris Dobbs. At this time, memorial plans have not been announced.
